Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to comment on youth work programmes and services in County Mayo and in the Ballinrobe area, in particular, and I thank Deputy Cowley for raising this issue. One of my areas of responsibility within the Department of Education and Science is the support and development of the youth work sector in Ireland. The overall purpose of the youth work service in Ireland is to assist young people to realise their potential and to become active participants in a democratic society. I am extremely conscious of the great benefits of youth work to young people themselves and to society. I am also aware that this recognition requires appropriate support. Through the youth affairs section of my Department, I work with the National Youth Council of Ireland, the national youth work advisory committee, which includes representatives of other Departments, and other interested parties to support youth work activities. This support is provided by way of financial and other assistance.

Youth work programmes and services are provided primarily by voluntary youth work organisations. In this regard, my Department provides a range of financial supports to the sector including support for projects for disadvantaged young people under the special projects for youth scheme; to national youth organisations under the youth service grant scheme; to a network of youth information centres, including a centre in Castlebar which is under the aegis of Youth Work Ireland — formerly the National Youth Federation; and to local clubs and groups throughout the country, including a number of clubs throughout Mayo under the local youth club grant scheme.

Under the special projects for youth scheme, grant-in-aid is made available to organisations and groups for specific projects which seek to address the needs of young people who are disadvantaged due to a combination of factors, for example, social isolation, substance misuse, homelessness, early school leaving and unemployment. Projects facilitate the personal and social development of participants thus enabling them to realise their full potential. This aim underpins all programmes and activities covered by the scheme. One special project in County Mayo receives funding under this scheme. This project in north Mayo, which received grant-in-aid of €53,743 in 2006 from my Department, offers a wide range of programmes and services aimed at young people most at risk of early school leaving and involvement in crime.

The local youth club grant scheme was introduced by my Department in 1999 and it aims to support youth work activities at a local level. These grants are made available to youth clubs and groups through the local vocational educational committee. While the scheme is open to all those involved in the provision of youth work services at local level, it is intended that disadvantaged and marginal groups will be the priority targets, with further priority being given to young people between the ages of ten and 24 years. While sports clubs are not eligible for funding under the terms of this scheme, funding for such clubs is available from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, under the sports for young people grant scheme. This scheme encompasses a number of grants that can be grouped under two headings: youth grants designed to aid the ongoing costs of youth clubs and groups and special youth grants, which are once off in nature and intended to aid special youth work initiatives, particularly those aimed at disadvantaged young people. In 2006, County Mayo VEC provided almost €21,000 to local youth clubs in the county on behalf of my Department under this scheme. In addition, €57,000 was allocated to 59 local youth clubs from the dormant accounts fund in recent weeks. These funds ensure local youth clubs and groups are appropriately resourced at local level.

The youth affairs section of my Department has received an application for funding on behalf of Ballinrobe area youth project. This application was submitted for consideration in the 2007 round of grants under the special projects for youth scheme. Funding allocations for 2007 are currently being examined by my Department and consideration will be given to this application in light of available financial resources, existing commitments in the youth sector and other applications. My Department's objective is to finalise decisions on such applications before the end of April.

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